121 Jesus therefore, six days before the passover, came to Bethany, where was the dead [man] Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from among [the] dead. 2 There therefore they made him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those at table with him. 3 Mary therefore, having taken a pound of ointment of pure nard of great price, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 4 One of his disciples therefore, Judas [son] of Simon, Iscariote, who was about to deliver him up, says, 5 Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? 6 But he said this, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag, and carried what was put into [it]. 7 Jesus therefore said, Suffer her to have kept this for the day of my preparation for burial; 8 for ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always.
9 A great crowd therefore of the Jews knew that he was there; and they came, not because of Jesus only, but also that they might see Lazarus whom he raised from among [the] dead. 10 But the chief priests took counsel that they might kill Lazarus also, 11 because many of the Jews went away on his account and believed on Jesus.
12 On the morrow a great crowd who came to the feast, having heard that Jesus is coming into Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palms and went out to meet him, and cried, Hosanna, blessed [is] he that comes in the name of [the] Lord, the King of Israel. 14 And Jesus, having found a young ass, sat upon it; as it is written, 15 Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. 16 [Now] his disciples knew not these things at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things to him. 17 The crowd therefore that was with him bore witness because he had called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from among [the] dead.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 12:1-17
Commentary on John 12:1-11
(Read John 12:1-11)
Christ had formerly blamed Martha for being troubled with much serving. But she did not leave off serving, as some, who when found fault with for going too far in one way, peevishly run too far another way; she still served, but within hearing of Christ's gracious words. Mary gave a token of love to Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to her and her family. God's Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections. In Judas a foul sin is gilded over with a plausible pretence. We must not think that those do no acceptable service, who do it not in our way. The reigning love of money is heart-theft. The grace of Christ puts kind comments on pious words and actions, makes the best of what is amiss, and the most of what is good. Opportunities are to be improved; and those first and most vigorously, which are likely to be the shortest. To consult to hinder the further effect of the miracle, by putting Lazarus to death, is such wickedness, malice, and folly, as cannot be explained, except by the desperate enmity of the human heart against God. They resolved that the man should die whom the Lord had raised to life. The success of the gospel often makes wicked men so angry, that they speak and act as if they hoped to obtain a victory over the Almighty himself.
Commentary on John 12:12-19
(Read John 12:12-19)
Christ's riding in triumph to Jerusalem is recorded by all the evangelists. Many excellent things, both in the word and providence of God, disciples do not understand at their first acquaintance with the things of God. The right understanding of spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, prevents our misapplying the Scriptures which speak of it.